Happy Birthday to Betty Friedan ’42, influential feminist thinker and author of THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE!
During her time at Smith College, the young Bettye Goldstien discovered a love of poetry and won a scholarship for her academic achievements. She also served as Editor-in-Chief of the college’s newspaper, where she pushed the editorial board to be more political. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Psychology, and went on to study with Erik Erikson at UC Berkley.
Her seminal work gave voice to women suffering from “the problem that has no name” and sparked the second wave of American feminism. She was also the founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL). Learn more in her memoir, MY LIFE SO FAR. Friedan, who died in 2006, would have been 97 this year.
